After nearly a year and a half, Tom Brady may soon find out if he will become a member of the Las Vegas Raiders’ ownership group.
According to reports from Sports Business Journal and The Athletic on Wednesday, the NFL’s financial committee will discuss Brady’s bid to purchase a part of the Raiders on Tuesday at the NFL Fall League Meeting in Atlanta. A vote on whether to approve the bid reportedly could soon follow.
He would need at least 24 of the league’s 32 owners to vote in favor of his bid in order to gain approval.
Brady and Knighthead Capital Management co-founder Tom Wagner in May 2023 agreed to purchase 10 percent of the Raiders from majority owner Mark Davis. Two main issues reportedly have held up the approval:
–Owners feared Davis had given too big a discount to Brady and Wagner. The Washington Post on Saturday reported that the pair had since altered their offer to make it more the owners’ liking.
–With Brady in his first year of a 10-year, $375 million contract to be an analyst on Fox’s No. 1 broadcast team, owners worried about a part-owner of one franchise getting access and insight to the coaches, players and game plans of other teams. The league has limited Brady’s access relative to that afforded to other analysts, restricting him from accessing team’s facilities and practices as well as broadcast production meetings, which usually include meetings with coaches and players ahead of games.
Brady’s job as a broadcaster could also be impacted on-air should he be approved. According to ESPN in August, as an owner, Brady could not publicly criticize game officials and other clubs. Doing so at a level deemed excessive could result in a fine or suspension. He would also be subjected to anti-tampering policies, according to the report.
Should the bid not be voted upon next week, the next time a vote could take place would be at the NFL Special League Meeting from Dec. 10-11 in Irving, Texas.